Zeenat-ul-Razaniya has no news about the body of her deceased husband Mohammed Hilmi Kiyasdeen, who suffered from kidney failure and died on November 30 last year.
The family had taken him to the hospital, where he was due to undergo a dialysis procedure. The family was shocked to learn that Kiyasdeen would be cremated as per the regulations for those who die of coronavirus-related complications.
“We were not shown any reports to prove the status of his infection. He showed no [COVID-19] symptoms. He was in close contact with us in his last days,” Zeenat told DW, adding that she and her three children all tested negative for the virus.
“How is it possible that he had the virus? They just forcibly took away the body,” she said.
Zeenat sought a court intervention, but judges ruled in favor of Sri Lanka’s coronavirus cremation policy.
It has been a distressing experience for the family.
#SriLanka's controversial policy to cremate the bodies of #COVID19 victims has outraged #Muslims, for whom cremation is forbidden. Critics say the decision isn't based on scientific evidence and targets minorities. @akankshasxn https://t.co/th3oLxEI17
— DW Hotspot Asia (@dw_hotspotasia) February 3, 2021